chessfeels: conversations about chess, psychology & mental health

Floridian Sam Sharf joins JJ and Julia to discuss getting back into chess after coming out as trans, gaining 1400 uscf rating points in under a year, her experiences and hopes for a more inclusive chess future, and her struggles in closing out the big one .

Show Notes

Sam joins JJ and Julia to discuss her journey back into chess obsession and improvement after coming out as trans and finding a newfound desire to put her all into life. Julia provides feedback on Sam's tendency to collapse in endgames against higher-rated opponents and in high-pressure games. JJ discusses the importance of perspective and reflection when determining whether a tournament was a success, and how this can impact choosing which section to compete in.
 
tw: discussion of suicide
Follow Sam on twitter
Upvote Sam's photo so she overtakes Levy and Hikaru on reddit again
Sam Shankland's Classical Sicilian LTR on Chessable, which Sam describes as "pretty life-changing" 

What is chessfeels: conversations about chess, psychology & mental health?

chessfeels is a weekly podcast about chess culture, improvement, and psychology from chess teacher JJ Lang and therapist Julia Rios. Tune in for irreverent conversations about this game we're all obsessed with.